ENERGY SECURITY AND GREEN ECONOMY BILL

That this House is aware that poorly insulated and heated homes make people ill, cost a lot to heat and contribute to climate change emissions; recognises that today in Britain over four million households live in fuel poverty with this situation especially bad in the private rented sector; believes that to combat such unacceptable scenarios, it is now time to set legal minimum energy efficiency standards in all rented homes to ensure their tenants are protected from such poverty, high energy bills and poor health; and calls on the Government to include in its forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill measures to restrict the letting of properties which have unacceptable low energy performance levels, to introduce beneficial tax incentives to improve energy efficiency in rented properties and to give local authorities the right to know the energy ratings of all rented properties in their area.